Boyd contradicts.

[Totti 0]

I don't have a short memory, but I do remember that the only time he got cash to spend was from the sale of Boumsong, and he brought in Wattereus, Buffel, Ferguson, Kyrgiakos - guys who helped us get to the last 16 of the CL.

 

Eck did give us dark days. But he had so little cash. Walter doesn't have that excuse.

 

And Scotland didn't qualify because Zambrotta dived.

 

It's also very easy to call Birmingham the biggest club in the then Championship when it suits your argument to do so.

Watterus was shaky as hell, Buffel was nothing special and Kygriakos did OK. Each to their own. And Birmingham were the biggest club in the championship last season, whatever way you look at it.

 

I can't really be bothered continuing to argue about Eck because anyone with half a brain will remember how inept he was by the end.

[bmck 117]

As for Boyd, it's not 'end of'. Modern strikers need to do more than just score nowadays, look at Drogba, Villa, Rooney, Torres as ideal examples. Boyd cannot play on his own up front, which has become the most common tactic in Europe. He cannot hold the ball up, bring others into play

 

I think he's done that pretty well recently. As good as Miller and/or anyone else e have.

 

or take on players and create his own chances.

 

Most strikers cant do that. Not even all the very top ones.

 

Boyd isn't a champions league level player though.

 

Just dont think we have enough evidence to decide about that.

[Totti 0]

Most strikers can't take on players? Like who out of the 'very top ones'?

 

Daniel Cousin was no Drogba but he was capable of beating a man and shooting. We could do with a player like that in attack. Good enough for Europe unlike Boyd or Miller.

[wabashcannonball 0]

Well done 'wabashcannonball', you've pasted an article that I myself have posted on this forum several times. Your point?

 

As for Boyd, it's not 'end of'. Modern strikers need to do more than just score nowadays, look at Drogba, Villa, Rooney, Torres as ideal examples. Boyd cannot play on his own up front, which has become the most common tactic in Europe. He cannot hold the ball up, bring others into play or take on players and create his own chances. I certainly want him to sign a new contract as he bangs in the goals against poor opposition in the SPL. Boyd isn't a champions league level player though. Then again, neither are the rest of our squad pretty much.

 

I am looking at Boyd no one else, you don't think he is very good, his goals say you are wrong. Eyes from south of the border think he is good enough, maybe you should enlighten them to his obvious fault, he scores goals.

My point, it has obviously passed you by so we will leave it there.

[bmck 117]

Most strikers can't take on players? Like who out of the 'very top ones'?

 

Raul, Larrson, Van Nistelrooy - any top striker who predominantly plays on the shoulders of defenders, and not dribbling at them. There are loads of this sort. Most of the sort who are any good at dribbling aren't out and out strikers - Ibrahimovic, Rooney etc. That's why when you rarely get someone who can do both consistently - the weird-toothed Ronaldo, arguably Eto etc - they're most exciting.

 

Daniel Cousin was no Drogba but he was capable of beating a man and shooting.

 

Cousin only very occasionally beat a man. He would out run or muscle them before getting a shot away - as I'm sure Boyd can do, the memory of him lifting it over the dude's head and rattling it across goal a few games ago springs to mind - but not run at them at beat them.

[Totti 0]

Larsson beat players all the time. Raul and Ruud in their day went past plenty players as well.

 

I'm not talking about dribbling, I'm just talking about the ability to take the ball, get past a player and hit a shot. Not skip past endless players doing stepovers. Any half decent striker should be capable of doing it but Boyd doesn't have the technique or agility. As I've said Boyd's great against poor teams and should be kept but against any decent defender he's useless.

 

PS - Zlatan Ibrahimovich is an out and out striker. He plays the main striker in a front 3 for Barca.

 

One good example of a successful striker with pretty much no technical skill is Flippo Inzaghi. As Ferguson said 'born in an offside position'. His football skills are almost as dodgy as Boyds. Difference is Inzaghi is world class and will find space against any opposition.

Edited December 10, 2009 by Totti

[Frankie 8,402]

Aye, to be fair he should have got more credit for finishing third that final season.

 

Sarcasm will get you nowhere here so I'll politely request you stop being so obtuse.

 

No-one, least of all me, said he deserved credit for finishing third. He deserved nothing but criticism and he paid for it with his job. As he should have and, as every manager, IMO, should when we don't win the league.

 

However, looking back, IMO, there were aspects of his time as manager which were agreeable. And, since then, he's sued those positive aspects to build himself a decent career away from the club after what must have been a huge confidence blow to be sacked from Rangers.

[Totti 0]

Sarcasm will get you nowhere here so I'll politely request you stop being so obtuse.

 

No-one, least of all me, said he deserved credit for finishing third. He deserved nothing but criticism and he paid for it with his job. As he should have and, as every manager, IMO, should when we don't win the league.

 

However, looking back, IMO, there were aspects of his time as manager which were agreeable. And, since then, he's sued those positive aspects to build himself a decent career away from the club after what must have been a huge confidence blow to be sacked from Rangers.

He did great in his first couple of seasons, anyone will say that. He was utter dirge thereafter.

 

One of the main things that annoyed me was the fact he'd persist with players in the wrong position. Lovenkrands and Arveladze are two decent strikers (particularly Arveladze) who wasted much of their Ibrox careers at left midfield.

 

There are a lot of similarities with Eck and Smith.

[Frankie 8,402]

He did great in his first couple of seasons, anyone will say that. He was utter dirge thereafter.

 

One of the main things that annoyed me was the fact he'd persist with players in the wrong position. Lovenkrands and Arveladze are two decent strikers (particularly Arveladze) who wasted much of their Ibrox careers at left midfield.

 

There are a lot of similarities with Eck and Smith.

 

I don't disagree which is why I was similarly critical of Eck at the time and Walter now.

 

Every manager will go through a period of struggling with tactics, their players and achieving success. All the more reason why the infrastructure of the club has to support them during such difficult times. Ours doesn't which concerns me more than the odd bad year under whatever manager you care to name.

[Union City Blue 0]

The club and the team are going backwards..... would any new manager turn that around in the face of more cuts and no investment possibilities? It would surely be a big gamble at this stage. Not being able to buy a player for 18 months is taking its toll, inevitibly.

 

FWIW I think that Smith is probably holding the CLUB together to a large extent just now, even if the team is faltering at the same time.